I live outside Atlanta, GA and winters do not get too cold here. When it drops below 32 degrees I have a 100 watt lightbulb inside my 8 foot by 8 foot by 7 foot tall coop. I will be going out of town on vacation for a week and have concerns about leaving the lightbulb attached to a timer unattended while I am gone. The weather is forecasted to drop to around 21 degrees a couple of the nights and then up to around 34 degrees the remaining nights. Will my Rhode Island Reds be OK for those few days without a lightbulb? There is a slight bit of ventalation (sp?) but no major drafts. Don't worry, I have someone coming by to feed and water them so that is not a concern. Thanks for any info that you may be able to provide. Jon Woodstock,GA P.S. The lightbulb is screwed into one of those clamp lights that hangs from the rafters. It is not into a permenent mounted light fixture, that is why I have a concern.
I know there is alot of places that would LOVE a 21 degree night. Chickens are alot heartier then we give them credit for. I believe they would be fine. It has been teens at night here (MD), and there is no heat in my coop. I have a light on a timer, more for my convience then for the chickens, but no heat. My only suggestion would be to use the timer if you want the light on, but I have never liked the "clamp-on" lights.....bad experience with one and a heat bulb. I would definatly either screw the clamp to whatever it is mounted to, or put it on a "safety" leash should it come loose. My main concern would be to make sure it could make contact with NOTHING, should it slip. Worst of all if it fell and landed into shavings, or bedding. A small chain would keep it from hitting the ground (bedding). Good luck, and safe trip. TNT
I would never place a bare bulb around any livestock. The risk of fire is just to great. Your chickens will do fine. I live in west central Indiana and our night low temps this past week have been around 3 to 10 degrees. I only run a pad heater for the waterer and I give our girls 14 hours of light with a guarded ceiling light on a timer. We still average 18 eggs per day out of 25 hens (24 yesterday). As long as you have good top venting and no drafts they will be fine. Enjoy your trip.
For a specific annecdote, I have 6 RIRs. Last night, it was 17 F outside and 22 F in the coop at roost height. I have a flourescent light which comes on at 4. By 6:30, I had 4 eggs from 6 chickens. They were happy as can be when I let them out into their 17 F run. They will be fine without added heat.
Don't worry about it. As long as you have installed everything correctly, the chickens will move from the heat themselves if they get too hot. It gets down in the teens, and stays there for long periods of time here in KY. My chickens, including a tiny, naked faverolle - do just fine with constant access to heat.